Blog
Starts with…
- 22 March, 2016
- Posted by: Katrina Casey
- Category: Reading
Just the other day, I was reflecting on my earlier teaching days. As they are now over twenty years ago, some of the memories are dimming, whilst others, I’m sure, will continue to shine out like beacons, even in another twenty years’ time.
On such memory was created in a small country town, in a Year One classroom. The children and I had been talking about the letter ‘m’ – the sound it makes, and the words that begin with ‘m’. I thought I would combine such literary knowledge with good old Arts and Crafts! It was the time when parents could generously donate no longer wanted magazines – which brought joy all round – we could keep up with all the Hollywood gossip, and create art lessons, for next to nothing.
And so on this Friday afternoon, I had decided that the children would while away the hour, by browsing the magazines and finding pictures of things that begin with ‘m’. Naturally, before this task began, we had a little brainstorm session, about the sorts of pictures that would be appropriate on the ‘m’ page. It was all progressing nicely, with shouts of, ‘mum, margarine, mice, monkeys, mushrooms, milk…’ And then I asked Joseph. “Joseph, what will you be looking for?” “Birds,” came the confident reply, to which of course, brought a chorus of laughter. (I have already addressed the harshness of young ones in a previous blog and yes, Kindy Kids, I’m looking at you – forgiven, not forgotten!)
After the laughter subsided, we talked about birds beginning with ‘b’, and about not laughing when someone makes a mistake, and then the children got to work.
As I walked around the room, I was feeling very smug. The children were nailing this activity. And then, I looked across at Joseph’s group. As I approached his group, there was a flurry of paper and a rush to close a magazine.
“Joseph was going to put a bird on his page,” said Brooke.
“Joseph,” I said, “what letter are we doing this week?”
“M, miss,” was the reply. Satisfied, I walked away.
A second attempt by Joseph, was thwarted by the ever vigilant Brooke. As he cut the picture out, he looked towards Brooke, decided against pasting it on the page, and instead, shoved it in his pocket.
At the conclusion of the activity, I visited each group, and together we labelled their chosen pictures. As I approached Joseph’s group, he was positively beaming, and there, in the centre of his page was, you guessed it, the bird!!
“Joseph,” I said, “does bird begin with ‘m’?”
Joseph looked from the bird, fixed his steely blue eyes on me, and said,
“Mmmmm bird – yep, bird does begin with ‘m’.”
You win Joseph, you win!